Smart Hub - ARLO_VBM_4540

[rtbartz]

Just got the ARLO Smart Hub, hoping that would resolve my issue with the Essential Indoor cameras. Well this just goes from problematic to laughable. I have verified that the Smart Hub and my Optimum router are connected. BUT, the Wi-Fi designation for the hub does not present its in the list of other networks in the Wi-Fi Settings. Because of that, I can’t select it, I can’t use the hub at all. So what gives here?  What am I supposed to do?

[jguerdat]

Did you onboard the hub before trying to connect the camera to it?

[rtbartz]

Yes sir, I did.

[StephenB]

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@rtbartz wrote:

BUT, the Wi-Fi designation for the hub does not present its in the list of other networks in the Wi-Fi Settings. Because of that, I can’t select it

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I'm puzzled about this comment.

You should see a network for the hub from your phone or PC - ARLO_VMB_xxxxxxxxxx.  Are you saying you don't see it there?

You can't join that network from your phone or PC, it is a closed network that is only used by the cameras.  When you are onboarding the essential, you tell the app that you are adding the camera to the base.  The base wifi isn't selected, just the base itself.

[rtbartz]

There was no ARLO_VMB_4540 in the list of networks in my wi-fi settings for me to select. As such, I could not onboard my Essential Indoor cameras directly to my new Altice 6 Wi-Fi router, no matter what I tried to do. So as I said before, I then got the Smart Hub which allowed me to add the cameras to it, and since the Hub is wired to my router, the cameras are basically onboarded to my router via the Hub.

[StephenB]

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@rtbartz wrote:

There was no ARLO_VMB_4540 in the list of networks in my wi-fi settings for me to select. As such, I could not onboard my Essential Indoor cameras directly to my new Altice 6 Wi-Fi router, no matter what I tried to do.

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Again, you seem confused.

If you want to connect the cameras directly to the Altice, then you need to select the Altice wifi network.

But If you want local storage, you need to connect the essential indoor to the smarthub, and not the Altice wifi. 

No matter what the rationale, you should be prompted on whether you want to connect to the smarthub (or not) while onboarding.  But you won't be shown the ARLO VMB network, instead you'll tell the app that you are wanting to connect to the smarthub.

Is the smarthub showing up in your device list?

[rtbartz]

I can only tell you what I know happened. I replaced my old router (2.4 and 5Ghz) with the Altice WiFI 6 Gateway router (i.e. the ARLO Smart WiFi setup). This new Gateway router also accepts 2.4 and 5Ghz devices, which all my cameras are configured to use.

Hence, I was able to add my five Pro 3 Spotlight cameras and two Essential Spotlight cameras without any problems. However, I tried to add my two Essential Indoor 2.4Ghz cameras the same exact way I added the Spotlight cameras. During that process for each camera, it had me enter the password for my Altice WiFi 6 Gateway router. I did that and the connection was made. The process then showed me a QR code on my iPhone and the camera was positioned to face the QR code. A ding was heard and the next step was a search for the camera. I don’t know where it was searching, but it never found the indoor camera and the process timed out. I then tried to add the indoor camera many more times exactly as I did for the Spotlight cameras, and the result was always the same as the first time I tried to add an indoor camera. Clearly, the indoor 2.4Ghz cameras must be added directly to a 2.4Ghz router, not via a 6Ghz router that also accepts 2.4Ghz devices in a round about way. Using the Smart Hub that accepts 2.4, 5 and 6Ghz devices without question, and having that hub connected to my Altice router with an ethernet cable, allowed me to add not just add the Spotlight cameras to the router via the hub, but I could also add the indoor cameras to the router via the hub. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 😁

[StephenB]

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@rtbartz wrote:

However, I tried to add my two Essential Indoor 2.4Ghz cameras the same exact way I added the Spotlight cameras. During that process for each camera, it had me enter the password for my Altice WiFi 6 Gateway router. I did that and the connection was made. The process then showed me a QR code on my iPhone and the camera was positioned to face the QR code. A ding was heard and the next step was a search for the camera.

You are describing the usual process for connecting the camera to your wifi (not to the smarthub).  It does sometimes fail (shame on Arlo).

One option would have been to try that again on a PC (windows or Mac) by logging in to my.arlo.com and going to "add device".  That sometimes works when the phone fails.

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@rtbartz wrote:

Using the Smart Hub that accepts 2.4, 5 and 6Ghz devices without question, and having that hub connected to my Altice router with an ethernet cable, allowed me to add not just add the Spotlight cameras to the router via the hub, but I could also add the indoor cameras to the router via the hub. 

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FWIW, the VMB4540 only supports 2.4 ghz, the VMB5000 supports 2.4 and 5 ghz.  No smarthub supports 6 Ghz wifi.

Note WiFi 6 is not the same as 6 Ghz (which is WiFi 6e).  I don't have an Altice router, but the info I see online  suggests it is only dual band WiFi 6 (2.4 ghz and 5 ghz) - not WiFi 6e.

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@rtbartz wrote:

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 😁

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So your problem is resolved?  Earlier you seemed to be saying that you were unable to onboard the Essential Indoor cameras to your hub.

[rtbartz]

At this point, I’m just going to say the problem was ‘almost’ solved. Everything I have is now connected to the Smart Hub, which is hard wired to my router. I say ‘almost’ because there is one device that won’t connect to the hub (because there is no option to do so) and it won’t connect directly to my router. That device is the Chime 2. Why that is I don’t know. Do you know?

P.S. As you could tell from the get-go, I am obviously not in the same league as you when it comes to the technical aspects of the ARLO devices. So I always thought my Altice WiFi 6 Gateway router meant is was 6Ghx. 

[StephenB]

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@rtbartz wrote:

 there is one device that won’t connect to the hub (because there is no option to do so) and it won’t connect directly to my router. That device is the Chime 2. Why that is I don’t know. Do you know?

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That has to be connected to your home wifi - see

• https://kb.arlo.com/000062284/Arlo-SmartHub-and-Base-Station-Compatibility

Note it will should still work with your doorbell, even when the doorbell is connected via the hub.

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@rtbartz wrote:

I always thought my Altice WiFi 6 Gateway router meant is was 6Ghx. 

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Very understandable.

The WiFi Alliance used to brand WiFi using letter codes - 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11n, etc.  A couple years ago they decided that was getting too complicated, so they switched to WiFi 1, ... WiFi 6.

Then 6 Ghz wifi spectrum became available, and they complicated it again with WiFi 6e.

WiFi 7 is rolling out now, and it includes all three bands.